Let’s be honest – the hardest leadership jump isn’t taking on a new team. It’s leading the one you used to be a part of. Moving from team-mate to team-leader sounds simple — you already know the people, the work, and how things get done. But in reality, it’s one of the hardest leadership transitions you’ll ever make. Doing to Leading: The biggest shift is moving from ‘doing’ to ‘leading’. What you were good at before isn’t what is needed in a leadership role. You now need to set your team up fo
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It’s time to kick start your engines and strap in for a wild weekend to remember as the infamous Don River Dash roars into the Whitsundays for another year this September! Set to be held from Friday the 5th until Sunday the 7th of September, the annual weekend of high-octane action and spectacular speed demon racing will soon mark it’s seventh year in the region and the community is bursting with excitement and anticipation. Since its 2019 debut with juts 40 bikes and 30 cars, the daring Don R
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The dangers that drivers face on the Bruce Highway north and south of Bowen are well known to locals, but Member for Burdekin, Dale Last MP, has shared a personal story to highlight a key safety factor during Road Safety Week. As a former Police Officer, Mr Last has seen more than his share of incidents first-hand but there is one that is burnt into his memory. “Late at night on May 15th 1998, my partner and I came across a car that had rolled,” he said. “The wheels of the car were still spinni
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Barbara Wright (nee Atkin) 1907 - 1986 Barbara Eleanor Atkin and twin brother, Walter, were born in Alexandria, Egypt in 1907. The family, which included a sister, Mary, lived in Egypt until Barbara was eleven when they moved to the Manchester area in England. Most of Barbara’s education was at Merchant Taylor’s School for Girls in Manchester and at the age of twenty-one, she sailed for Australia on the “Hobson’s Bay”, arriving in Brisbane in March 1928. She enrolled at the Teacher’s College in
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Friday 22 August Airlie Beach Hotel: Andy Mammers (7pm – 10pm) Grand View Hotel: Dallas Steele (from 8pm) KC's: Josiah (from 8pm) Saturday 23 August Airlie Beach Hotel: Creedence (Tribute Show) (2pm – 5.30pm) Airlie Beach Hotel: Andy Mammers (7pm – 10pm) Grand View Hotel: Sam McCann (from 8pm) Coral Sea Pavillion: DJ Bad Girl KC's: Paul Fergus (from 8pm) Sunday 24 August Airlie Beach Hotel: Creedence (Tribute Show) (2pm – 5.30pm) Airlie Beach Hotel: Paul Fergus Morris (6.30pm – 9.30pm) Grand V
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August 24 Bowen Community Markets, Hansen Park, from 8:00am 26 Sailing For Those With Disability, Whitsunday Sailing Club, from 9am 26 Tech Help, Cannonvale Library, 2:00pm-3:45pm 31 Bowen Community Markets, Hansen Park, from 8:00am September 2 Tech Help, Cannonvale Library, 2:00pm-3:45pm 5 Don River Dash 300 Day 1, Various Along Bowen’s Don River, 4:00pm-10:00pm 3 Whitsunday Quilters & Hand Crafts Group, Whitsunday Neighbourhood Centre, 9:00am-1:30pm, $5pp. 6 Don River Dash 300 Day 2,
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An unparallel showcase of epic 80s and 90s rock n’ roll anthems will ignite the Airlie Beach Hotel for one weekend and one weekend only for two mighty FREE shows on Saturday the 6th and Sunday the 7th of September. A Father’s Day special event, the powerhouse vocals of Shaleena Bain, Tara Graham and Adam Spizzo will have audiences singing along to the most nostalgic tunes from iconic artists including Guns & Roses, Whitesnake, Bon Jovi, Ozzy Osbourne, Def Leppaard, AC/DC, Aerosmith, Motley Crue
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Moo, a gentle 2-year-old Staffy x Labrador, is still waiting to find her forever family. This sweet girl has had a tough start in life, but it hasn’t dimmed her loving nature. Moo adores people, enjoys the company of other dogs, and greets most new friends with a happy wag of her tail. She can be a little shy at first, but once she feels safe, she’ll be your loyal shadow, ready for endless cuddles and companionship. Moo loves spending her days by your side, relaxing in the sun, going for walks
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A sparkling Queensland winter’s day gently opened the starting gate for the 40th Hamilton Island Race Week, presented by AMEX, on-water program. The Dent Passage starters spent the morning ashore in postponement drinking coffee and chatting and the Eastern starters bobbed around under beautiful sunshine for a couple of hours, as humpback whales played freely nearby. Sailing can be a waiting game - sailors are accustomed to it - it’s one of the reasons they are generally relaxed at all levels of
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The Whitsunday Game Fish Club’s Airlie Beach Tackle World-sponsored Billfish and Tuna Rally is set for the 13th and 14th of September, and it promises to be a busy weekend with excellent numbers of Sailfish, Juvenile Black Marlin, Mackerel, and Tuna around this season. The event kicks off with a briefing and angler registration on Thursday, 11th September at 6 pm at the club on Altmann Avenue, Cannonvale. The rally is free and open to all club members. Fishing takes place on Saturday, 13th, an
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Rugby Union - Proserpine/Whitsunday Rugby Union Club Grand Final Saturday 23 August Womens vs Bowen Rugby Union Inc at Whitsunday Sportspark 4:15pm - Premier Grade vs Mackay Brothers Rugby Union at Whitsunday Sportspark Football - Whitsunday United FC Friday 22 August 6:00pm – Mackay Lions Div 2 Men vs Whitsunday United FC Div 2 Men at Mackay Lions Soccer Club 8:00pm – Mackay Lions Div 1 Men vs Whitsunday United FC Div 1 Men at Mackay Lions Soccer Club Saturday 23 August 9:30am – Mackay Ranger
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In a great round of football, Whitsunday United maintained a clean sheet with not a single goal scored against any side! Unfortunately, the weekend was marred by multiple forfeits of our home games by Mackay clubs with our Div2 Men, U14 and U13 Div1 players all missing out on games. The Div men hosted wanderers on Friday night eager to gain momentum at the end of the league season. Div 2 received a late forfeit win which helps the cause but was a missed opportunity to build for possible finals
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The Airlie Beach Triathlon Festival was buzzing with energy last weekend, and the Cannonvale Cannons were right in the thick of it, showing their strength both in the water and on land. Saturday’s Junior Triathlon saw a strong turnout from our young Cannons, with Lucas Korosec, Zavier and Caleb Woolston, Lily Woolston, River and Penelope Shields, Sophie Palmero, Pippa Laguna and Finn Temple all giving their best in their respective age groups. A special congratulations goes to Lucas Korosec, wh
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The Port Denison Gun Club’s two-day annual shoot on July 26–27 attracted a strong field of 64 competitors from across Australia, including visitors from Tasmania, Victoria, Brisbane, Clermont, Dysart, Mackay/Sarina, the Burdekin, Townsville and Charters Towers. Caravans began arriving from Wednesday, and by Friday the grounds were almost full. The weekend offered great competition, friendly rivalry, and a warm country welcome — complete with hearty meals from Kerry and Cheryl in the kitchen, a
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After a great winter holiday, many visitors are heading home. We wish them safe travels and hope to see them again next year. Monday’s triples saw Maureen Hyde, Alby Vigar, and Ron Hyde claim victory over Graeme Read, Kennedy Whitton, and Mark Drummond. Runners-up were G. Wills, G. Cornell, and M. Eames, who defeated E. Dunn, John F., and G. Coleman. The jackpot didn’t go off. On Tuesday, N. McKinnon, D. Retchless, M. Wilson, and J. Walsh defeated I. Hide, V. Boskma, P. Wilson, and N. Dawson.
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A brave group of six men and eleven ladies took on the threat of inclement weather at Tuesday’s Stableford, with conditions fortunately holding for a smooth round. Some members also competed in the Wintersun tournament in Mackay, showing the club’s competitive spirit. Elspeth Scotford had a standout day, finishing as runner-up in the Tuesday competition while also claiming the nearest-the-pin award. The day also saw a remarkable achievement from Tiina Randmae, who scored a hole-in-one – every g
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This weekend the Under 200s, sponsored by the Metropole Hotel, Proserpine Bowls Club and Cane Country Tyres, was held in absolutely perfect weather conditions. Players from Marian, Souths Suburban, Northern Beaches, Airlie Beach, Giru, Ingham and Proserpine came to put in their best games of competitive bowls in the quest to win this event and have their names etched into the trophy. Before I get on to the results, we'd like to thank all those people who made this event possible and such a succ
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It was another fantastic week of bowling at the Airlie Beach Bowls Club, with the all-weather dome ensuring plenty of action on the greens. On Wednesday, sixteen players took part in social bowls. The standout pairing of Warren “Wazza” Wilson and Arthur McManus claimed a convincing 33–11 win over Barry Wainwright and Tony Kelly. Sunday saw twenty-eight bowlers take to the green, where Tony Kelly bounced back in style, teaming with Robin Brown and Ken McAllister to record a commanding 36–11 vict
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The Whitsundays Comes Alive For The Coral Sea Marina Resort Airlie Beach Triathlon Festival This Weekend! The day we’ve all been waiting for is finally here! Tomorrow, the Coral Sea Marina Resort Airlie Beach Triathlon Festival kicks off, and the energy is already electric. The iconic shoreline of Airlie Beach is buzzing with athletes, supporters, and organisers, all preparing for a weekend that promises to be a true highlight on the triathlon calendar. This festival is a celebration of our st
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Hi Everyone, It’s great to be back and feeling refreshed after a quick—but absolutely wonderful—two-week holiday in Italy. My family and I stayed in a small villa in a town three hours north of Rome called Radicondoli. With only 950 residents, it felt like by the end of the trip, we’d made friends with most of them! This was the first holiday in recent memory where I truly stopped and did nothing. Usually, our trips are active—skiing, bodyboarding, bushwalking—but this time (after 35 hours of
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A major lighting upgrade at the Bowen Sporting Complex has been completed, paving the way for night games and future growth at one of the town’s key community hubs. The project delivered brand-new field lighting that meets the standards required for day/night cricket matches, as well as enabling night events for rugby and other sports, giving local players and visiting teams greater flexibility and opportunities to train and compete after dark. The upgrade was made possible through a $250,000
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Tec-NQ House grade 11 boarding student Max has his boots firmly planted in two very different worlds: the rugged, hands‑on life of a central Queensland cattle station, and the bustling day‑to‑day routine of boarding school in Townsville. “I live on a station north of Clermont called Mazeppa,” Max explained. “When I’m not here at school, I live there with my family.” Home for Max is anything but quiet. Mazeppa Station is a working property that runs both cattle and crops, keeping everyone on th
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Members of the Uniting Church at St. Martin’s say they would love to see more people attend one of the local church services held at the venue each week. Church goer Pete Harling said he enjoys going because it gives him time to stop each week. “It gives me time in the week, just to stop and to listen and communicate with my friend Jesus," he explained. “I believe that kindness and forgiveness are the ways to behave and I think they're so hard to do all the time that you need help from somewh
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To 2025 Whitsunday Writers Festival Events The Whitsundays Writers Festival returns to Airlie Beach on Friday, 12 September 2025, at the Whitsunday Sailing Club, featuring a stellar line-up of authors and guest speakers. A highlight is the Love Letter to Queensland event with keynote speaker Dr. Anita Heiss, an award-winning author of over 20 books across multiple genres. A proud Wiradyuri woman, she is also an ambassador for the Indigenous Literacy Foundation and Professor of Communications at
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The countdown is officially on! The Whitsunday Tourism Awards are back on October 18 and we couldn’t be more excited to give a big shoutout to this year’s amazing finalists. An impressive 93 businesses have been named across 14 categories, covering everything from great places to stay, to eat and to experience. These awards are all about celebrating the people and places that make our region one of Australia’s favourite holiday spots. In a fresh twist this year, the Whitsunday Tourism Awards a
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